Quick action whip stock



Oct. 4, 1938. c. L. WALKER QUICK ACTION WHIP STOCK Filed Dec. 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. C; /N TON L. WA LKEE dca/ud.

ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dct. 4, 1938.

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ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES QUICK ACTION wmr STOCK Clinton L. Walker, Piedmont, Calif. Application December 5, 1936, Serial No. 114,448

5 Claims.

This invention relates to the drilling of oil wells and particularly pertains to whipstocks for ofiset drilling.

, It is the principal object of the present inven- 5 tion to provide an improved whipstock which can be expeditiously lowered into a well bore and anchored at any desired point therein, which whipstock can be easily and quickly removed from the well bore after it has served its purpose.

' My present invention contemplates the provision of a whipstock body having the usual inclined bit-deflecting surface. Mounted on this body is a normally ineffective clutch for anchoring the body to the casing in which it is run. 15 This clutch can be rendered efiective at any point in the casing so that the body can be anchored therein at the desired location. After the whipstock has served its purpose, the clutch means may be disengaged and the whipstock may 20 be removed from the hole.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

various parts of the apparatus, except the clutch, embodying my present invention, with various of the parts in sectionsto more fully disclose certain features of construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the whipstock body and setting tool partially in elevation and partially in section to show the manner of at- Itazzzihment between the tool and the whipstock Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 except that it discloses the manner of disconnecting the setting tool from the whipstock body.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation and section showing the mounting of the clutch 40 thereon in the position it assumes when the whip- 1sltolck is being run in or being pulled out of the Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 except that it discloses the clutch in anchoring position.

Fig. 6 is a view like Fig. 5 except that it discloses the clutch in side elevation.

Figs. 7 and 8 are end views of the clutch showing the same both in expanded and contracted condition.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, l indicates my improved whipstock apparatus which includes a whipstock body ll having the usual wedge-shaped portion providing the inclined deflecting surface I2. Forming a fixed part of the whipstock body and depending Fig. 1 is a composite view showing all of the therefrom is a, tapered mandrel l4 having four fixed feather keys l arranged longitudinally.

Slidably mounted on the mandrel l4 and bored complementary thereto is an expansible anchor- 7 ing clutch Hi. This clutchis formed in four com- 5 plemental segments each having a featherway I1 slidably engaging one of the feather keys l5. Cirr formed with a coaxial bore 20. A shaft 2| is reciprocably mounted in said bore and is feathered therein against rotation. The upper end of the bore is counterbored as at 22 to provide an annular shoulder 23. The upper end of the shaft 2| is enlarged so as to fit the counterbore and to be shouldered on the shoulder 23. The upper end of the shaft is obliquely cut off so that when shouldered on the shoulder 23, its oblique surface will coincide with the deflecting surface of the whipstock body as illustrated. The shaft 2| is somewhat longer than the bore in the body and in the mandrel so that normally it will project a distance below the lower end of the mandrel M as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. At its lower extremity the shaft is fitted with a fixed cup member 24 to embrace the lower' ends of the clutch as illustrated. a

At the upper end of the whipstock body is formed an obliquely arranged socket 25 to be detachably engaged by a hook 26 on the lower end of a lowering line 21.

Extending inwardly from the oblique surface 2la of the shaft 2| is a socket 28 to be engaged by a pivotal dog or hook 29 carried by a wedgeshaped setting tool 30 attached to the lower end of a line 3|. By means of the socket 28'and hook 29 the setting tool 30 may be connected to or disconnected from the whipstock body, as will be described.

In operation of my improved apparatus, it is constructed substantially as described herein and illustrated in the drawing, and assembled for running in the hole with the clutch in the posi tion shown in Fig. 4 and with the setting tool 5 connected with the whipstock body through the medium of the socket 28 and hook 29, as illustrated in Fig. 2. It is then lowered into the well bore with the principal weight of the device on the running in line 21, but with the line 3| under tension, so as to prevent the setting tool 30 from becoming disengaged from the whipstock body. When the apparatus has reached a predetermined position within the casing, the weight is shifted from the line 21 to the line 31 so that the entire weight of the apparatus is borne on the line M.

It will be noticed that the hook or dog 29 cannot become disengaged from the socket 28 under such circumstances because the socket 28 will prevent pivotal movement of the hook as is clearly evidenced from Fig. 2. That is to say. the setting tool 30 must be lowered relative to the socket 28 in order that the dog or hook 29 may be disengaged from the socket.

Immediately the weight is transferred from the line 21 to the line 3i, the whipstock body will lower, forcing the tapered mandrel M into the clutch I6, expanding the same into gripping engagement with the well casing inasmuch as the whipstock body may move downwardly due to its weight, while the shaft 2| remains stationary.

After the clutch has been expanded into gripping or anchoring position, it may be further set by raising the wedge member and consequently the shaft by means of the cable or line 31 and then allowing the same to fall, drivnig the mandrel further through the clutch and setting it tighter against the casing wall. When the whipstock body is so anchored, the cable 21 may be disengaged by merely allowing it to slacken, disengaging the hook 26 from the socket 25, and the setting tool may be disengaged from the shaft 2| by allowing it to lower relative to the socket 28, which lowering movement will enable the weighted pivotal pawl to swing to an unobstructing position as shown in Fig. 3. Thereafter the setting tool may be removed from the hole.

In order to remove the whipstock from the hole after it has served its purpose, the hook 26 may be lowered into the hole on the line 21 and engaged with the socket in the whipstock body. Thereafter a pull exerted on the running in line 21 will cause the tapered mandrel M to be pulled out of the clutch l6 so that the contractile band I8 may collapse the same to an ineffective condition. A continued pull on the line 21 will then remove from the hole the whipstock body H, the mandrel l4 and the clutch I6 so that drilling operations may be proceeded with.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art wtihout departing from 'to release said clutch from its grip in the casing,

means at the surface to form attachment to the whipstock whereby it may be raised out of the bore.

2. In combination a well casing, a whipstock including a tool deflector, a tapered mandrel attached to said deflector, segmental clutch members surrounding said mandrel, means actuated at the surface to force said mandrel axially betweensaid segmental clutch members to grip said casing, means actuated at the surface to withdraw said mandrel axially from said segmental clutch members whereby to release said clutch from its grip in the casing.

3. In combination a well casing, a whipstock consisting of a tool deflector, a casing clutch attached to said deflector, means at the surface to actuate said clutch, means at the surface to release said clutch, means to prevent said deflector from rotating about its longitudinal axis when said clutch is at grips with the casing.

4. In combination a well casing, a whipstock having means to lower said whipstock into the bore to any desired location, means to disengage said lowering means, means to firmly clutch said whipstock to the casing, means to disengage said clutch actuating means and remove it from the bore, means to reengage said clutch actuating means and to release said clutch from its grip .on the casing, means to reengage said whipstock lowering means whereby said whipstock may be hoisted out of the bore, all of said means being under control of an operator at the surface.

5. In combination with a well casing, a whipstock including a whipstock body having an inclined deflecting surface, a tapered mandrel depending from said body, a normally contracted expansible clutch surrounding said mandrel, means actuated at the surface to force said mandrel axially through said clutch to expand the same and thereby grip the casing, and means actuated at thesurface to withdraw said mandrel axially from said clutch to enable the same to contract and release its grip with the casing.

CLINTON L. WALKER. 

